Acoustic emission sensors are typically used in known monitoring systems to monitor an operational status of a device (e.g., a valve or other process control device) to which an acoustic emission sensor is coupled. In some known examples, the acoustic emission sensor is monitored to determine whether the acoustic emission sensor is functioning properly and, as a result, whether measurements from the acoustic emission sensor are accurate. One known method of verifying this functionality is a pencil lead break test that involves a person (e.g., an operator or technician) breaking lead from a mechanical pencil adjacent the acoustic emission sensor. Another known test involves using piezoelectric sensors in a reciprocity mode. However, these known tests do not meet the reproducibility and/or practical implementation requirements needed to properly assess the acoustic emission sensor and can also cause an operator or technician to improperly assess the functionality of the acoustic emission sensor.